In a Bleak Market, Bright Spots Loom

Sunday, November 16, 2008

According to the United States Department of Labor the unemployment rate rose to 6.5 percent, from 6.1 percent in October -- a 14-year high.

Since the beginning of the year, employment has fallen by 1.2 million nationally, with more than half of the decrease occurring in the past three months. New Jersey was not immune to this national trend, shedding thousands of jobs over the past year with further job losses anticipated.
The employment picture is not all bad news however. For people with a college degree, although unemployment is rising, it remains at a relatively low 3.1 percent. There are jobs to be had for people who know where to look and how to sell themselves.

If you are looking to move, consider Texas, because more than 50 percent of the new jobs this year were created there. While overall, New Jersey shed jobs, there were some bright spots locally. Jobs grew in the areas of transportation and warehousing, information and technology, professional services, education and health care, according to the state's Department of Labor.
According to Rob McGovern, chief executive of Jobfox.com, a next-generation career website that matches users to appropriate job openings, here are a few of the jobs that top their internet hiring list for New Jersey and New York:

• Sales representative/business development
• Market research
• Administrative assistant
• Accounting staff
• Medical administrative services
• Software design/development
• Networking/system administration

When you are looking for a job, don't limit yourself to looking for a job exactly like the one you just left. Examine your skills and see how they might be valuable in the industries that are going to grow over the next several years. Here are the top five areas where experts expect job growth:

The federal government The Office of Personnel Management is hiring, and anticipates filling 100,000 new jobs next year. That estimate was made before the election and will likely prove to be low. If you are an unemployed mortgage lender or have just been laid off from Wall Street, for example, keep your eye on opportunities that will arise as a result of the Troubled Assets Relief Program. (That is the $700 billion bailout program that is using our taxes rescue the financial services sector.)

Clean and green technology President-elect Obama has said his No. 1 priority is to create a new energy economy. He has promised $150 billion for a green energy program. Lots of engineers, scientist, technicians and researchers are going to be needed for the development and manufacturing of renewal energy.

But you don't have to be an engineer to go green. Project managers and construction workers are also going to be needed. After all, somebody has to build those wind turbines. There will also be a need for marketers and salespeople to sell all that green technology.

Health care We are all getting older. The one area that grew in almost every state this year was health care. Nurses, physician's assistants, home health care workers and information technology workers of all types to modernize heath care systems are, and will continue to be, in demand.

Education There is a teacher shortage with waves of teacher retirements on the horizon. Some states offer alternative certification programs that will allow you to become a teacher even if your college degree is not in education.

Compliance Government regulation is only going to grow over the next few years. There is already a shortage of accountants. We are going to continue to see growth in the demand for accounting services, bookkeepers and compliance specialists.

Times are tough. Lots of people have lost their jobs and there are more layoffs to come. But there is also potential opportunity for those who look at their skills broadly, have confidence and know how sell themselves. Your job may have gone away, but your skills, talent and positive attitude remain.

But don't expect jobs to come to you. Good jobs are out there waiting for people to fill them; however, you will have to go out and find them. If you do, you'll not only survive these challenging times, but you can grow and prosper.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is a career coach, the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Career Gifts for the Holidays

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The holiday season is here, and it's time to start thinking about gifts. Consumers are being careful about how they spend their money this year. Gifts that help with careers are likely to be appreciated. With that in mind, I asked for suggestions on the "must have" career gifts for this season. Here are some of the best ideas I received:

The Long and Shirt of It For the man or woman on the go, Jeff Blee of Glen Ridge, a divisional merchandise manager for Brooks Brothers, recommends the retailer's slim-fitting non-iron shirts. Brooks Brothers offers them in a variety colors and patterns (starting at $79.50 for men and $89.50 for women). In addition to looking crisp, the fact that the shirts don't need ironing will save money on dry cleaning.

Pair the shirt with a stain-resistant tie ($75) and you have the perfect gift to ensure a professional makes the right impression. Blee adds that a classic burgundy tie is a perfect complement for the shirt.

That's a Stretch Nancy Cook, an instructor at the New York Sports Club in Parsippany, suggests yoga classes to improve physical and mental health, essential in today's stressful business climate. Yoga "not only builds strength, stamina and flexibility but also reduces stress, increases energy and improves sleep.

You will likely find that you concentrate better and are better able to cope at work as well, according to Nancy. Yoga classes are free with a membership at the New York Sports Club.
A Sports Club membership starts at $44 per month, or you can purchase a gift certificate for classes at a local yoga center, which will set you back around $80 for five classes.

The Perfect 'Storm' Mark Asnes, chief operating officer of the Wireless Zone, a nationwide chain with stores in Clifton, Hamilton and Madison, calls the new Verizon BlackBerry Storm the businessperson's "must have." Among the features the first touch screen BlackBerry offers is the fastest available broadband, long battery life and a keyboard that automatically switches from a phone keyboard to a computer keyboard simply by turning it on its side. (Cost: $199 with two-year contract.)

Mark suggests purchasing a "tether" for $29, which connects your BlackBerry, iPhone or other PDA to your computer, so you can get wireless internet access on your computer through your PDA. Although a small additional monthly fee is involved -- about $15 per month -- using a tether will allow unlimited downloads and save you fees of $39 or more a month, which normally comes with having a separate wireless internet card for your computer.

You're Speaking My Language Professional development courses are another great gift. With the increase of globalization, a second language can be a great skill. Rosetta Stone offers an interactive computer learning system that helps you learn another language. It connects words and grammar with images and uses speech recognition technology to perfect pronunciation. Prices start at $199 for a six-month online subscription.

Or, use online learning to enhance your computer skills or master new technology through companies such as Makaucorp.com. The company offers online training for computer programs such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Microsoft Excel. Makaucorp.com also offers professional development courses in a variety of topics. (Full disclosure: the company offers some of my courses, including "Interviewing Skills: Landing the Job You Want.) Courses start at $99.

Shelf Life No shopping list would be complete without mentioning some of the best new career books:

Every working professional can benefit from Steve Viscusi's "Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out On Top at Work," which offers 50 tactics to bulletproof your job, suggesting ways to stand out as a valuable employee.

"The Confident Leader: How the Most Successful People Go From Effective to Exceptional," by Larine Kane. The book suggests strategies to help professionals make positive decisions that will elevate them to success.

If you or someone you know is looking for a job, buy Richard Bolles' "What Color is Your Parachute 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers."

Just In Time Samantha Ettus' book "The Expert's Guide to Doing Things Faster: 100 Ways to Make Life More Efficient," can help you free up more time, to work more or do other things.

Psychic Friends Justine Kenzer, a "professional psychic," suggests a gift certificate for a psychic reading ($100 for 15 minutes by phone or internet). Being able to predict the future: now that would give you a real career advantage.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is a career coach, the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Tips To Help You Deal With the Unexpected

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

You have probably heard of Murphy's Law: "Whatever Can Go Wrong, Will." My corollary to Murphy's Law is: "Expect the unexpected, and be prepared for it." In these uncertain economic times, planning for the unexpected is all the more important.

As a frequent traveler, I am plagued by problems, mostly minor, which are both beyond my control and often unexpected. On a recent trip, for example, I was scheduled to give a telephone interview on drive-time radio. I was staying with a friend, and gave his telephone number to the show's producer. I also gave the producer my cell phone number as a back up.

About five minutes after the interview was supposed to begin, I received a call on my cell phone from the producer saying they had to cancel my spot. The producer told me he had tried several times to call the telephone number I had given him, but each time a woman answered claiming not to know who I was.

Why the producer did not call my cell phone is beyond me. However, when I called my friend's number using my cell phone, sure enough, the phone sitting in front of me did not ring and instead a woman answered. When my friend called the telephone company to find out what was going on, he was told the wires were somehow crossed.

The moral of that story is that I should have called ahead of time to make sure my friend's phone was working properly. Perhaps anticipating that problem might be too much, even for me, to anticipate, so what I really should have done, in addition to giving the producer a back-up number, was to get his direct number, so I could have called when his call failed to come through at the scheduled time. That way I would have been in control of the situation.

What does this have to do with careers? While you cannot know with certainty if, or when, certain challenges will arise during the course of your career, experience suggests certain events are likely to occur at some time during your working life.

Those challenges can have a major effect on your career. You may be laid off. Your company may be taken over. You may find yourself with a new boss. You may unfairly be blamed for something that has gone wrong, through no fault of yours. The key to survive the unexpected is to plan for it. Along with every unexpected challenge that arises, there is opportunity, but only if you are prepared

If you have a critical meeting that you absolutely have to be at on time, drive the route before hand, so you can anticipate and avoid any problems; then leave early anyway.

More important, at some point in your career, you will probably be terminated from a job. Ask "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling or New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Both were fired from their jobs before they went on to become enormously successful.

Prepare now for those unexpected events you can anticipate. While you may not know when they will occur you can be fairly certain that they will. Here are some tips to help you plan ahead in case you lose your job:

• Keep your résumé current.
  
• Have copies of important documents and contact lists stored someplace other than on your office computer or BlackBerry.
  
• Keep up with trends in your industry.
  
• Become active in professional associations.
  
• Attend conferences and take courses to keep your skills, particularly technology, current.
  
• Continuously build and stay in contact with your network.
  
• Create an online presence.
  
• Create a specific job search plan and have it ready.
  
• Identify people who can serve as references.
  
• Review your finances.
• Put money away to have in reserve.

Take actions now that will enable you to quickly recover from a potential job loss. If you ever need to put that that job search plan into effect, you will be glad you chose to expect the unexpected and were prepared for it.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is a career coach and the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want." He is also the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Starting Your Own Business Is Not for the Faint of Heart

Sunday, October 12, 2008

With employment having declined for the past nine consecutive months, the job market is weaker than at any time since 9/11.

In September, the economy shed 160,000 jobs. Those employment numbers are likely to get worse before they get better. What do you do if you unexpectedly find yourself without a job? Consider starting your own business.

After working on Wall Street for 18 years, Deborah Jack was suddenly let go from her six-figure job as part of a major downsizing. The Fort Lee resident began looking for similar jobs in financial publishing but wasn't having any luck.

So Jack went back to something she had considered years earlier -- helping to care for people's pets. After all, even when times are tough, people still have to take care of their pets. But instead of starting from scratch, she decided to open a Fetch Pet Care franchise, which provides in-home overnight or daily care for pets.

Becoming a franchisee, rather than opening her own business, provided her with support, training and marketing. In a little more than two years, Jack has built a healthy business and is happy with her decision, doing something "she never would have dreamed she would be doing just two years ago."

Starting your own business is not for the faint of heart. Each month, 464,000 people in the United States start new businesses, according to the United States Small Business Administration. Approximately 50 percent of those new businesses fail in the first five years. If you want to be among the 50 percent who succeed, you need "money and knowledge," said Susan Scherreik, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Seton Hall University in South Orange.

When starting out, you can get money from your savings, friends and family; knowledge you get wherever you can.

Do your homework. Research the business you want to go into. Go to trade shows. Take workshops at a local university. The New Jersey Department of Labor offers a program for entrepreneurs, in which you can enroll while receiving unemployment benefits.

Other resources available to aspiring entrepreneurs are Score, a national nonprofit counseling agency, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. You also need to develop a network of knowledgeable advisers who can help every step of the way.

These may be people you know or people you meet attending workshops or through the resources mentioned above. In addition, if you go the franchise route, you can get advice and support through the parent organization.

Not everyone is cut out to own a business. It goes without saying that hard work and determination are required. You have to be comfortable taking risks, although successful entrepreneurs know how to minimize those risks. Most important, Scherreik says, "You can't be afraid of failure. Every new business owner makes mistakes, but you have to learn from them and make adjustments."

About a year ago, Kevin Kamenski, a retail manager for Conde Nast, was laid off. A former professional hockey player who had played six years in the minor leagues, he had always dreamed of putting his knowledge and love of hockey to good use. So he viewed the layoff as an opportunity.

Kamenski founded Elite Sports Academy in Montville, a hockey training facility with a 1600-square-foot synthetic ice rink, where he offers coaching to children as young as 4, right through to college players and adults in recreational leagues.

He described his experience as "good but scary for someone used to getting a regular paycheck." Kevin said he has "never worked harder, but has never been happier."

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want." He is a career coach and co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

How to Make Them Forget Your Age

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Here is a letter from one of our readers seeking advice on a common concern: How to avoid having age hurt your chances of getting the job you want.

I am in my 50s. I recently started a job hunt after moving because of family obligations. I have had several interviews, but after what I thought were good interviews, there was no further contact from the employer. I have contacted one employer several times to try to get a second interview but with no suc cess. Do you think it is my age? If so, what can I do for future interviews to downplay my age?

Without knowing more about your specific situation I cannot say whether or not age is affecting your job search. While it is illegal to consider age in determining whether or not to hire someone, age sometimes can be a factor in a job search.

Employers generally value experience, so age only is viewed negatively if you don't take steps to ensure that it is not seen that way. There are several things you can do to minimize the risk that age will hurt your chances of being hired.

Since you can't get hired unless you get an interview, start by making sure your résumé is "age neutral." Rewrite your résumé, so nothing indicates how old you are. For example, list your degrees, but do not include years of graduation. While you should list the dates of employment when you are describing your work history, only list your most recent job history going back approximately 10 to 15 years. If you have other important work experience, list it under a section titled "Other Relevant Experience," and do not include the dates relating to that experience.

Whether your age will actually play a role in the hiring decision, how you interview will be determinative. If you do a good job in the interview, age is unlikely to hurt your chances of being hired.

Appearance is important. If you look and act old, then that is how you will be perceived. Go out of your way during the interview to be energetic and positive. Make sure you are in good physical shape and be contemporary but appropriate in the way you dress.

Don't dress like you are 20 years old, but don't wear the same styles you wore 20 years ago. Join a gym, get a new hairstyle and buy some new clothes. Get the best clothes you can afford and make sure they are well tailored.

Most important, make sure you stay current with technology. That is the one aspect that concerns businesses when they are hiring older employees. Employers generally want to hire individuals who understand, and can adapt to, changing technology.

If you can demonstrate to a prospective employer that you are comfortable with technology, age will not likely be an issue. Take courses if you need to up date your familiarity with computers. Demonstrate that you are at home on the internet. Create a professional online presence. Understand terms like social networking. Have an online bio, write a blog and have your own web page or web résumé. Write professional articles and have them published online.

Here are some tips to help you eliminate age as a factor in your job interviews.

• Prepare: Find out everything you can about what the organization is currently doing, the challenges they face, the job and the interviewer.
  


• Make your experience a plus by focusing on what you have done that will be valuable to your prospective boss.
  


• Ask knowledgeable questions.



• Demonstrate that you are comfortable with technology.



• If you are asked about something that you don't know how to do, confidently express your willingness and ability to learn how to do it.



• Don't ever say anything negative about a prior employer, even if true.



• Smile.



• Pay careful attention to how you dress -- contemporary but appropriate to the industry.



• Always be positive and en thusiastic.



• Tell the interviewer that you want the job

Effective interviewing starts with having the right mindset. It requires an understanding that employers are seeking positive, enthusiastic employees who can adapt to changing conditions.
They want individuals who have relevant skills that can help them deal with the most pressing issues they are facing. They want employees who are comfortable with technology and are not afraid to learn and try new things. If you can demonstrate that you bring these attributes to the workplace, your age will be the last thing on the interviewer's mind.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctor s.com.

E-Mail Miscommunications Can Cause Career Damage

Susan Ascher, a provider of contract Human Resources services, describes an e-mail she wrote that nearly derailed a deal with a major client.

After a lot of back and forth by e-mail, the parties had worked out the major issues that they needed to resolve. In response to an e-mail summarizing what had been discussed, Ascher, president of the Ascher Group in Roseland, sent back an e-mail she thought was positive, but which ended with the statement: "As soon as our lawyers review it, I will get back to you." The client called her back almost immediately, very angry at "her dismissive attitude" toward the deal. He said he felt she was being rude when she was merely stating that it was standard procedure to have her lawyer review it before it was finalized.

This highlights the problem with communicating by e-mail. Misunderstandings frequently arise because e-mails lack the visual and auditory cues that give context to our communications when we speak.

The first thing you need to ask yourself before sending an e-mail is whether that is the best way to communicate your message. Sometimes, what you want to say is sufficiently important that it is worth the effort to have the conversation face-to-face. At other times, telephone is the best means of getting your message across.

Even when e-mail is the proper medium, you need to be careful how your e-mails are written. Careers have been damaged because of insufficient attention paid to the drafting of e-mails.

Pamela Harper, president of Glen Rock-based Business Advancement, and author of "Preventing Strategic Gridlock," described some examples of what she referred to as "e-mail self-sabotage," which occurs when people become sloppy about their e-mail sending habits.:

A director in a major corporation sent a rambling e-mail to one of his managers. Embedded in the middle of the communication was an urgent request for action. The recipient not only didn't read the e-mail in time to take the required action, he didn't even notice he was being asked to do something until it was later called to his attention.

An e-mail thread with the subject line "For your information" was sent back and forth without ever changing the subject line. On one of its rounds, the recipient never got around to reading the e-mail even though the e-mail contained an important question that didn't get answered in time for an upcoming meeting.

Here are some e-mail tips to prevent e-mail miscommunications from damaging your career:
E-mails are best used when they are intended to convey facts. Intent is frequently misinterpreted because there is no way to soften the impact of tough words or express nuanced intent through your tone of voice. Humor is frequently misconstrued. That is why emoticons and abbreviations like LOL (laugh out loud) to indicate that you are joking were invented. Use them, or better yet, save the humor for when you are speaking face to face.

Never reply to an e-mail when you are angry. When you are upset about a comment someone makes in an e-mail, wait before responding. Otherwise, you are likely to overreact. Once you write something in an e-mail, you can't take it back. People will read your comments over and over, getting more upset each time. When you write an e-mail, pay close attention to your choice of words and overall tone.

Highlight the points that are important. When you're reading e-mails, read them carefully. When you're writing e-mails, assume the recipients will not do so. Make good use of the caption. Put the most important points in the first paragraph. Limit the length of the e-mails to a few short paragraphs. Bold or underline key points. Do not bury important information in the middle of a lengthy paragraph. Where possible, include visual aids: emoticons, graphs, pictures etc. Don't rely exclusively on e-mails. If you can't resolve an issue with two e-mails, pick up the telephone and call.

E-mails and other virtual communication technologies allow us to extend our sphere of influence, reaching out to anyone when it is convenient for us to do so, no matter where the intended recipient is physically located. Ultimately, however, that technology is only as useful as the user understanding of its strengths and limitations.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com

Chapter One In Getting Your Book Published

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Here is a letter from the reader mailbag:

I noticed you've written several books. Can you help me with the steps toward publication? Does a book need to be fully written before I seek an agent? I believe our idea is unique; there is nothing like it on the market, and the book would include information that everyone needs, so I am confident it will sell. Do you have any advice about the legwork that needs to be done to get our book published? I don't want to waste time going down the wrong roads as an inexperienced writer. Like Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo, who believed every stone had a sculpture trapped inside waiting for an artist to let it out, I believe everyone has a book in them. So, I asked an editor and a publicist what an aspiring first-time author should do if he or she wants to get a book published.

Nancy Hancock, executive editor for Rodale Publishing, offers the following advice:

Start with a great idea, one that requires more explanation than a short article on the internet could cover. Coin a catchy phrase that captures the essence of your topic and the imagination of potential readers, such as Daniel Goldman's "Emotional Intelligence" or Stephen Levitt's "Freakonomics."

Spend time developing a following to help sell the book, because getting a book published these days "has as much to do with the author's ability to generate sales as it does with great writing." Publishers want to know "the author has a following." That is understandable since, according to Publishers Weekly, of the several hundreds of thousands of books published each year, the average book in America sells only about 500 copies. So it makes sense publishers want authors who already have an established market for their books.

"Before you even write your book, build a platform establishing your expertise" by writing articles, giving speeches, blogging and networking, advises Annie Jennings, who runs Annie Jennings PR in Princeton.

Even if you are already an established expert and have written a "great" book, you still need to get it to the right publisher. If you are writing a book on investing, you don't want to submit it to a publisher specializing in children's books. Go to your local bookstore and see which publishers focus on books in your area of interest. Literary Marketplace (literarymarketplace.com) is also a good resource for aspiring authors. It provides a listing of publishers, agents, trade services and international resources.

Before you send a manuscript to a publisher, call to find out the procedures for accepting submissions. Sometimes a proposal will be acceptable; others may insist on a completed manuscript.

"If you have built a strong platform, an editor who specializes in your area will probably take a look at your proposal," although some publishers will not accept submissions unless they come from an agent, Hancock said.

Unfortunately, for someone who is neither an established author nor a celebrity, getting a good agent may be just as hard as getting a book published without one. Agents look for authors who are recognizable experts on timely topics, and will be able to help market their books.

If you can't find a publisher, a viable option today is to self-publish. Companies such as Amazon.com and Bookmasters (bookmasters.com) offer services that enable you to publish and distribute books that look professional without a publisher. What you don't get when you self-publish is the editing expertise, marketing power and the status that comes with working with a major publishing house.

It is not uncommon that, if a self-published book sells well, it will be picked up by a major publisher or will attract the interest of an agent. In fact, the best-selling career book "What Color Is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-hunters and Career-Changers" was originally self-published.

Whether getting a book published or moving your career forward, success depends on the same three qualities: believing in your work, being creative and never giving up. When my first book, "Get More Money on Your Next Job," was published, I got a contract based on the table of contents and one chapter. Because I didn't know it wasn't done that way, I simply used my network of friends to identify people they knew at major publishers. Based on those preliminary contacts, without an agent, I was able to sign a book deal with McGraw Hill, which, even in hindsight, was a pretty good deal.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence, Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Dress for Success, Even in Summer

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Now that the weather has turned hot, we are faced with the mixed blessing of more relaxed dress codes at work.

Even firms that don't generally favor casual dress often allow it during the summer, at least on certain days. When dress is casual, knowing what to wear is not always easy, and mistakes can affect your career.

For example, one warm summer day when C.B. Bowman of North Plainfield was the director of learning and development for a New Jersey-based insurance agency, one of her employees showed up for work in a dress that left little to the imagination. Despite the company's dress code, the employee saw nothing wrong with the outfit because it was an extremely hot and humid day.

Bowman said she sent the employee home to change, pointing out the office was air-conditioned. The employee was eventually fired for other reasons, but Bowman said she thinks this incident served to reinforce the general perception this employee wasn't a good fit for the job.

While rarely does wearing the wrong outfit to work result in being fired, how a person dresses can have a major effect on whether or not he or she is promoted. To be viewed as someone on the fast track to success, one needs to look the part, and not just in the winter, but in the summer as well.

"Management is continuously sizing people up for the next promotion," said Vicky Ribon, Team Manager in charge of the Florham Park office of Administaff, a national human resources outsourcing firm. Potential leaders are judged "not only on their knowledge and skills, but also on their presentation." So always pay attention to the image you project.

Here are some tips for dressing to impress where summer business casual is the norm:

Start by looking at the people in the positions you aspire to and take your cues for your summer wardrobe from them.

No matter what you choose to wear, make sure you never look sloppy. For men, Glenn Hoffs, fashion director for Brooks Brothers and a South Orange resident, suggests "tropical-weight wool or linen slacks and a long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a fashionably casual yet professional look." Polo shirts also work in most industries.

For women, "a summer dress is always appropriate as long as it is not too revealing." Tasteful skirts or pants with blouses also can convey the right image.

As Bedminster-based Dory Devlin, work and money editor for Yahoo Shine and a former Star-Ledger columnist, notes: "It is hard to know the rules, because they are constantly changing as we become increasingly more casual, but there are still some definite office attire don'ts."

The two "worst summer workplace fashion offenses" were "visible underwear and tank tops," noted a recent Monster.com online survey. Other summer items that should never be seen on you at the office are halter tops, short shorts, T-shirts and see-through blouses.

The human resources professionals I spoke with would all add flip-flops to the list, for both men and women, of what not to wear to work. Leg or toe jewelry also should be reserved for outside the office. My own rule of thumb for business casual is, if it's right for the beach or a hot summer night, it is probably wrong for work.

Remember, dress rules are not suspended when you are attending a company function, such as a picnic, barbecue or pool party at the boss's home. No matter how informal, these are still very much business functions. Clothes that are too tight, too short, low cut or see-through are never appropriate.

You don't want your boss picturing you in a thong bikini when he or she is deciding who to promote. At a summer get-together, sandals and sneakers have their place, but leave the ripped T-shirts and jeans at home.

"Think carefully before you wear your favorite T-shirt with the funny or risqué saying emblazoned across the front," Hoffs cautioned. "Not everyone will share your sense of humor."

The image you present at work is something that should not be left to chance. Every day, individuals miss out on career opportunities because they do not project the right image. Decision-makers, consciously or subconsciously, often consider whether someone looks the part when deciding whether to hire or promote them. The impressions you make during the summer are no less important than those you make during the winter months.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

If You've Earned A Raise, Then Ask For It

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Is the weak economy causing you to hesitate to ask your boss for a raise?

Ninety percent of employees do not feel this is a very good time to ask for a raise, according to a recent human resources survey sponsored by Randstad, a worldwide staffing agency with offices in Princeton, Parsippany, Swedesboro and Plainfield. The online poll was drawn from a pool of 2,200 employees and 1,295 employers in the United States.

Most people these days seem to be more worried about keeping their jobs than getting a raise. That can be a costly mistake. The right time to ask for a raise is when you deserve one, regardless of the general state of the economy.

What do you have to do to get a raise in a tough economy? You not only need to do something that merits a salary increase, but you need to affirmatively promote your accomplishments. Unless you tell them, most bosses don't actually know what you've accomplished, and may even give credit to someone else for your successes. If you want a raise, make sure your boss knows how you have contributed to his or her success and that you can continue to help make him or her look good.

One way to demonstrate you deserve a raise is to learn new skills or take on greater job responsibilities. Presented properly, your boss will recognize the new skills or additional work being done will make him look good. Particularly in a tight economy, if your boss can achieve greater productivity without hiring additional staff, you can get a raise and your boss can justify it on the basis of saving the company money.

How you go about asking for a raise is also important. Eileen Habelow, Northeast regional vice president of Randstad, recently gave a bigger raise than she had planned because of the way her employee approached the topic.

She asked this individual to take over a troubled account and offered him an increase in salary, but the way he responded caused her to rethink the amount she had offered. He told her "he was flattered that she had thought of him for this tough job and was excited by the challenge even though it required him to leave a secure position where he doing extremely well."

That simple statement reminded her that not only was he the best choice to solve her problem with this account, but also that accepting this position would entail both financial and professional risk for him. So even though she believed he would accept the job at the salary she had initially offered, when he asked for a larger increase she gave him one.

Prepare carefully before you ask for a raise.You don't simply wake up one morning and ask for one. You have to have a good reason. "I have not had a raise in a long time" is not a good reason, especially in a weak economy.

"I just completed my MBA;" "I am your top producer;" "I took on additional responsibilities when Sally left;" or "I have a job offer from a competitor." Those are reasons to request a raise.

Show how you have gone above and beyond what was expected.Use the internet to determine the market value for the work you are doing. Also, recognize the unique value you bring to your employer, those things you do that would be difficult for your employer to replace if you left. Utilize that information to make the case for a raise.

However, never threaten to leave if you don't get what you are asking for. Doing so will put your boss on the defensive and make it just as likely that she will show you the door as give you a salary increase.

When you are seeking a raise, bear in mind the advice of Ron McMillan, co-author of "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High:" "You are not asking for a favor, you are engaged in a business negotiation."

Demonstrate why you deserve one, explaining how you determined a higher salary is warranted. A salary increase is not the only way you can get a raise. You can also ask for more time off, the ability to work a few days a week from home, additional training opportunities or a bonus based on achieving certain agreed upon results.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Father Knows Best Till Kids Join His Trade

Sunday, June 15, 2008

I remember the exact moment when, in our work together, my daughter Jessica stopped being my daughter and became my co-author.

It had been her idea for me to write "A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating: How to Convince, Collaborate and Create Your Way to Agreement." Her idea was to have a negotiating book written from both a male and a female perspective, although Jessica never suggested she be the one to write it with me.

Naturally, though, I turned to her to be my co-author, not only because she is a gifted negotiator and a successful businesswoman, but also because, after all, the book was her idea.

We agreed to each draft certain chapters and then critique each other's work. The way this was supposed to work was that we would discuss the proposed changes until we were both satisfied with the result. Initially this process did not go well because, whenever we disagreed, I reverted to the "father role" and exerted my "right" to have the final say.

She called me about a week after I sent her the first draft of a chapter titled "Negotiating with Your Spouse or Boyfriend." Her response was both unequivocal and totally unexpected. She said, "Dad, you are a genius when it comes to business negotiations but you really do not have a clue when it comes to relationships. Let me take a crack at writing the first draft for this chapter."

A few weeks later, when I received her draft, it was completely different from what I had written and, frankly, much better. From that point forward, whenever we disagreed, I took her views much more seriously.

Working with your children can be rewarding for everyone involved, but it also can be difficult. Vinnie Brand, the owner of the Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick has had all three of his children work with him at one time or another. He warns sometimes a child who works in a family business brings with them a sense of entitlement. They come in late, they do not do their job and generally act as if they can do whatever they want because they are the owner's son or daughter. That attitude can really hurt a business because the other employees quickly come to resent it.

Peter and Mathew Glazier are a father and son team that runs the Glazier Group, a company that owns and operates a chain of upscale restaurants, including the Strip House in Livingston. Before Peter allowed his son to join the family business, he insisted Mathew "spend some time working elsewhere." That way he "would be able to make an intelligent decision about his future."

Mathew, who became a lawyer and practiced law for several years before joining his father, agrees with his dad's advice: "Working outside the family business allows children to see how things are done elsewhere and enables them to come into the business with some real world experience that can add value to the company."

Everyone I spoke with on this topic, though, seems to agree the secret to parents and children successfully working together ultimately boils down to mutual respect. It is important for children to respect that their father or mother created a successful business using methods that worked, even if they are not currently considered the best practices. For the same reason, parents have to accept that things will change when their children join the company.

Even when you come to respect your children as business colleagues and deal with them as equals, they never stop being your children. Although my daughter is an exceptional negotiator, I do not think it was her extraordinary negotiating ability that enabled her to persuade me to give her 75 percent of the book advance.

She simply reminded me she had just started a new job in a new city and she needed the money for her new house -- a negotiating tactic that would only work for a business colleague that happened to be your father.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Web site devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Cosmetic Surgery's Handsome Rewards

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Can cosmetic surgery get you that raise you're looking for?

Maybe, says a study coming out of the University of Texas.

Men and women "with below-average looks" suffer "a pay penalty," while those with better-than-average looks receive "a pay premium," according to a University of Texas study. After considering other variables, such as education and experience, the study found someone with below-average looks earned 9 percent less, and a better-than-average looking person earned 5 percent more than an individual with average looks.

Gordon Patzer, a professor at Roosevelt University who has studied the "physical attractiveness phenomenon" for more than 30 years and is the author of "Looks: Why They Matter More Than You Ever Imagined," says "better-looking people not only earn more, they are also more likely to be hired and to be promoted."

More and more people seem to be acting on their belief improving their appearance will boost their careers. What many of them are doing goes well beyond just dressing for success. Since 2000, there has been a 27 percent increase in surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, with a large portion of that increase attributable to men. And, according to a 2007 survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, two-thirds of the men and women surveyed gave as their primary reason for seeking cosmetic surgery "remaining competitive in the workplace."

Daniel Brock, a studio engineer with a recording studio in Jersey City, opted for hair transplant surgery because he felt his premature hair loss was affecting his business. After a successful procedure, he found he was better able to relate to the younger musicians who are the mainstay of his business. He said he not only attracted a younger clientele, but, overall, his business has increased 35 percent since the surgery.

Much of the business benefit of cosmetic procedures appears to be psychological. The common refrain from the people I spoke with who had cosmetic surgery, was that they felt more confident and energetic after the procedure. Dr. Antonio Armani, the cosmetic surgeon who did Brock's hair transplant, said one of the reasons his patients often experience increased career success after surgery is "when they look better, they have more self-confidence."

That self-assurance enables them to perform better. Some experts think attitudinal transformation is more significant than the effects of the actual physical changes in advancing an individual's career.

In addition to the psychological effect on the individual undergoing the surgery, Patzer notes, "People do, in fact, treat other people differently based on their physical attractiveness."

Individuals are more likely to believe what people who are better looking say, and are also more willing to help them. Consequently, being more attractive can result in someone being more productive, Patzer says.

Cosmetic surgery, however, is not a panacea for whatever ails someone's career. In addition to the medical risks associated with any surgery, undergoing cosmetic procedures can be expensive and does not guarantee career success. Moreover, when people are aware you have undergone cosmetic surgery, your career may not fully benefit from the so called "beauty premium."

Patzer suggests while we value good looks in people, "We don't expect them to have to put effort into it." When someone improves their appearance through cosmetic surgery, "others tend to discount the value of those improvements." Moreover, sometimes the results of the surgery are not what were initially hoped for.

Whether cosmetic surgery is a better career investment than a new wardrobe, a good haircut or additional training remains to be seen. History is replete with people of only average looks who have achieved great things. Notably absent from the list of Nobel Prize winners and the Fortune list of the world's richest people are any supermodels.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a Website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Tips for Summer

THE BIZ OF SUMMER

Here are ways to make beach season as beneficial as it is relaxing

Sunday, May 25, 2008

CAREER COACHING

Most people think summer is a time to put your career on hold and enjoy the warm weather. That is a big mistake. Summer provides a chance to move your career forward while your colleagues are sunning themselves on the beach. Here's how you can use this time to get a leg up on your career:

Demonstrate that you can do more. Offer to pick up additional responsibilities while people are on vacation to showcase skills your current position doesn't require. Your boss will appreciate your pitching in to help. If you are strategic in what you offer to do, it can lay the foundation for a future promotion.

Take advantage of things being a little slower around the office and use the time to learn new skills. Register for a course at a local university. Taking a summer class is also a great way to meet new people and expand your network. It may even help your social life.

Summer is not all about work, though. Everyone needs time away to relax. But while you are flying to your vacation destination or relaxing on the beach, try picking up a business book that will help you become more successful.

-- Lee E. Miller

BEACH BOOKS

Recommended by Ralph Izzo, chief executive of Public Service Enterprise Group:

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't," by Jim Collins ($27.50)

"This book illustrates the need to look past the next quarter and take the long-term view in order to achieve sustainable excellence."

Recommended by Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of Trenton-based TerraCycle, which makes organic liquid plant food and packages it in recycled soda bottles:

"Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things," by William McDonough and Michael Braungart ($27.50)

"This book is my inspiration. It shows how industry and commerce are at odds with the environment only because innovation slowed after the Industrial Revolution, and that with more thoughtful design, business can be more profitable and more eco-friendly at the same time."

Recommended by MaryLou Barreiro, Wells Fargo regional market president for New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania:

"How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Customers and Clients," by Jeffrey Fox ($16.95)

"This is both an enjoyable read and filled with insights. His point is that to be successful, you need to understand the customer's value system."

-- Beth Fitzgerald

MUST-HAVE GADGETS

Item: Sony Digital Noise Canceling Headphones

Price: $399.99

Website: sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&productId=8198552921665348955

You need to focus. You need to think. And with all of the world's distractions, sometimes you need assistance. That's the idea behind these noise-canceling headphones, which will let you listen to industry podcasts, instructional videos or your favorite bands -- all while focusing on the task at hand and tuning out the noise from jet engines and nearby cubicles.

Item: Nuvi 200

Price: $219.99

Website: garmin.com/products/nuvi200

Here's a GPS unit you can drop in your backpack or pocket, making it easy to take with you when you're on a business trip and looking to explore an unfamiliar city (or just avoid getting lost). Not only that, the Nuvi 200 comes with other handy tools, such as a world travel clock and currency converter.

Item: WiFi Signal Locator

Price: $29.99

Website: mobileedge.com/items_accessories.asp?cid=7&scid=7&pid=24

Maybe you don't want to work during your vacation, but you've got no choice. And you've got a problem -- you need to track down a WiFi web connection. The keychain-sized WiFi Signal Locator will help you do just that. With its LED indicators, it will find the sweet spot for hot spots in cities, airports and elsewhere.

-- Allan Hoffman

RAINY-DAY MOVIES

Recommended by Annette Catino, chief executive of Piscataway-based QualCare, which provides managed health-care plans to employers:

"Erin Brockovich" (2000, starring Julia Roberts)

"I like this movie because the character Erin Brockovich wins by doing what is right. She has a lot of passion and she sticks by her guns."

Recommended by Bud Mayo, founder of Clearview Cinemas and CEO of Access IT of Morristown, which is converting movie theaters to digital film technology:

"Broadcast News" (1987, starring Holly Hunter, William Hurt and Albert Brooks)

"It combined comedy with reality, and it was the first major movie I played in the very first Clearview Cinema."

Recommended by Marge Perry, founder of MZM Construction, a Newark-based construction company:

"The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006, starring Will Smith)

"This is a true story of a man who, while he was living in a homeless shelter with his son, made it through a stock broker training program and went on to become one of the wealthiest men on Wall Street. The message is that business won't guarantee you success, but it will guarantee you a journey."

-- Beth Fitzgerald

Career Advice For Recent Graduates

Sunday, May 18, 2008

When Anne Bergen-Taylor was hired at an internet company in the 1990s, her boss told her: "Everyone here has an agenda for what they want you to do. You need to follow my agenda." And that is exactly what she did. As a result, Bergen-Taylor, now the director human resources at DeVry University in North Brunswick, neglected to build relationships with her peers and with people in other departments. So, when her boss was let go, she soon followed. It was an important lesson for her. It is not enough just to keep your boss happy; you need to find the time to build relationships with others throughout the organization. Your future success depends on their help and support.

Like Bergen-Taylor, new graduates frequently make mistakes that hurt their careers. While it is good to learn from your mistakes, it is even better if you can learn from others. Here are some tips to help make the transition from school to work a little smoother:

Technology is no substitute for spending time with people. Technology plays a critical role in today's workplace, and recent graduates are generally comfortable using that technology. However, technology can never replace face-to face interactions with others in the organization. Learn to be equally at ease speaking and contributing at meetings. Management makes Judgments about your leadership potential based on how you present yourself when you are in their presence.

Jake Greene, the twentysomething author of "Whoa, My Boss Is Naked, A Career Book for People Who Would Never Be Caught Dead Reading a Career Book: " says his contemporaries are often reticent to speak up at meetings, yet are very comfortable sharing their thoughts via e-mail and instant messaging. This leads to what he calls a "professional split personality" -- assertive and confident online, but shy in person. Hiding behind your computer won't help you advance. "Boomers need personal contact. If you need a keyboard to communicate, that will be a detriment to your career."

Develop interests and friends outside of work. In addition to building and nurturing a network within your organization, seek out and maintain a diverse set of friends outside of work. Too often, people trap themselves within their organization and their industry. That is career limiting. You never know where the next great opportunity will present itself or what information will prove critical to your future success.

Greene describes this as "having a Danny Ocean mentality," from the character George Clooney plays in "Ocean's Eleven." In the same way Danny Ocean has a multitude of diverse friends whose talents he can call upon when he needs to do a job, you, too, should build friendships with talented and interesting people in all walks of life.

Many people seek out friendships strictly based on their perceived career utility. Because people recognize what you are doing, that is often counterproductive. Keep in touch with individuals because you are genuinely interested in them, not only when you need something. Help them even when there is nothing immediately in it for you. That way, they will be more likely to think of helping you anytime an appropriate opportunity arises without your even having to ask.

Take responsibility for your own career. Nicholas Aretakis, a former vice president of worldwide sales for GlobeSpan in Red Bank and author of "No More Ramen," offers the following advice: "Be patient, but don't just wait for something to happen; make it happen." Too often, young people find the first job they accepted isn't exactly the job they thought it would be, so they leave and look for another job.

This cycle can repeat itself until it ultimately begins to negatively affect an individual's career. Rather than change jobs, a better response might be to seek out additional responsibilities in areas where you have an interest and can add value. In that way, you create the job you want.
Never stop learning What you are doing today can quickly become obsolete. Employers are always looking for individuals who are adaptable, and they frequently hire and promote people not because they can do every aspect of a new job, but rather because they are convinced the individual can learn whatever he or she needs to learn in order to do the job. So, take advantage of any training opportunities your organization offers. Continuously seek out learning opportunities.

Volunteer for assignments where you will develop new skills. Take courses at local universities and online. Constantly seek to develop yourself. Keeping up with trends in your field and continuous learning not only will keep you marketable, but also will advance your career.

All advice is not equal. Leon Fraser, a lecturer at the Rutgers Business School in Newark, offers one final piece of advice to new graduates -- be careful where you get advice from.

"Everyone offers advice to new graduates -- your aunts, your uncles, your parent's friends and even your friends who graduated just a few years ahead of you. Make sure the advice you take is not only good advice, but applicable to your specific situation."

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Don't Make These Job Search Mistakes

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Before John Yocca found his current job, he had been unemployed for seven months. Unexpectedly laid off as part of a major downsizing, Yocca took some time off trying to figure out what he wanted to do.

Now a senior account executive with Stern and Associates in Cranford, Yocca eventually found temporary work in the golf industry, a passion of his, and began exploring the possibility of working full time in the field. After a while, though, Yocca got discouraged and decided to go back to what he knew best. So, he reached out to a recruiter he had worked with in the past.

By coincidence, the recruiter was working on a search for which he was particularly well-qualified. Within a day, Yocca had an interview; a week later, he had a job. In hindsight, Yocca says he wishes he had pursued his job search more diligently and reached out to his network much earlier.

With the economy losing 80,000 jobs in March, the third consecutive month of rising unemployment, many more people are likely to be facing a period of unemployment in the coming months. Some of those affected may find themselves out of work for an extended period of time. Should you find yourself among the casualties of what will hopefully be a brief economic downturn, avoid the common mistakes that can unnecessarily lengthen the time you look for work.

The most common problem for individuals who have been looking for a job for an extended period of time is "they get discouraged and lose their confidence," said Julie Kampf, president of JBK Associates, an executive recruiting firm in Engelwood. This can lead them to interview poorly and make bad decisions, such as accepting the wrong job out of fear nothing else will come along.

Here are some mistakes to avoid during a job search:

Don't wait to begin the job search. While trying to determine what you want to do next and not simply jumping at the first job that comes your way is a sound strategy, taking a long vacation is not. A few days off to clear your head and re-energize is fine, but then get to work. The sooner you start, the sooner you will find that next great opportunity.

Don't apologize for the time you have been unemployed. Let your potential employer know you have been focused on finding the right job and be able to describe the efforts you have made to do so.

Don't take rejection personally. Human resources professionals and executive recruiters are bombarded by résumés, e-mails and faxes from candidates. If they don't get back to you, be persistent, but don't be a pest. Finding a job is a "numbers game." The more opportunities you pursue, the better your chances.

Don't be embarrassed to ask your friends and business associates for help. "Those are the people who know you best and are the most likely to help you," says Kim Bishop, vice chairman of the national recruiting firm Slayton Search Partners, who is responsible for the firm's New York-New Jersey region.

Never stop networking. Reach out to your contacts on a regular basis, whether that means just checking in to say hello once a month, forwarding articles of interest or simply sending a birthday or holiday card.

"Objects in motion tend to stay in motion, while objects at rest tend to stay at rest, unless acted upon by an external force," says Newton's First Law of Motion. When it comes to finding a job, a similar principle comes into play. Employers are interested in people who are active and involved. They want to know you are positive, motivated and energetic. They are looking for someone who has been busy, even while engaged in a job search.

So while you are looking, take courses that will enhance your skills, get involved in professional organizations and engage in volunteer work. This will not only expand your network, but will demonstrate you have been productive during the time you have been out of work. Consulting or freelance work also can be a plus, as long as it doesn't keep you from focusing on your primary objective of finding a job.

The biggest mistake you can make when you are unemployed is to "rely on someone else to find you a job," Kampf says. People in your network, career coaches all can help you. They can offer ideas, provide leads and give you advice, but ultimately, you have to take responsibility for your own job search.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Make Yourself a Perfect Match

Sunday, April 06, 2008

When I was a young associate at a law firm, one of the pleasant tasks assigned to us was taking law students who were interviewing for jobs out to lunch. This was an opportunity for the firm to have the candidate's contemporaries sell them on the virtues of why they should come to work there.

On one occasion, several of us were out to lunch with a particularly impressive candidate. He had graduated from Princeton University and Yale Law School. He was smart, articulate and good looking, had excellent experience and seemed like he would fit in at the firm. His round of morning interviews had gone extremely well and our job was to convince him to join the firm.

Lunch started out uneventful. We talked about sports, law school and life at the firm. We ordered our lunch and several carafes of wine. The conversation was quite animated.

While we were eating and talking, the candidate reached for something to drink. Instead of his wine glass, he picked up a carafe and took a sip from it.

I don't remember much else about the lunch, but within 10 minutes of our returning to the office, everyone was talking about the "candidate who drank wine from the carafe."

While I am sure this outstanding law student had no trouble finding a job, he wasn't offered one by my firm. This incident highlights the importance interviewing plays in the hiring process. One little mistake can cost you a great opportunity.

No matter how talented you are, your accomplishments do not sell themselves. Knowing how to interview makes all the difference in the world between getting the job you want and getting a letter thanking you for your interest. The good news is interviewing is a skill that can be learned.

Effective interviewing starts with having the right mindset. It requires an understanding of how employers think and what they are looking for when they interview. To be successful, you have to do more than merely convince the interviewer you are a good candidate for the job.

Everyone who actually gets an interview probably is a good candidate for the job. Your goal is to convince the interviewer that you, with your work history are the "perfect match" for the specific job they are trying to fill. To accomplish that during your interview, requires not only a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the job, but also an in-depth knowledge of the organization, your prospective boss and the challenges they face.

That will enable you to emphasize those skills and experience that you bring which will be of particular interest to the employer. Here are some interviewing do's and don'ts that will enable you to stand out from all of the other candidates being considered for the job:

DO

Prepare by finding out everything you can about the company, the job and your interviewer(s).

Ask knowledgeable questions.

Listen carefully and be responsive to the interviewer's interests.

Focus on accomplishments not responsibilities. Emphasize those that are most relevant to the job.

Make friends with the secretaries and assistants involved in the hiring process. They are an excellent source of information and assistance.

Be positive and enthusiastic at all times.

When you finish interviews demonstrate your enthusiasm by asking for the job.

DON'T

Don't ever say anything negative about a prior employer, even if it is true.

Don't interrupt the interviewer.

Don't discuss politics or religion

Don't be too deferential to the interviewer. Ask questions; take thoughtful positions and support them in a firm but respectful manner.

Don't talk about salary. If you must, talk about it as little as possible until you get an offer.

The interview is often described as the most critical aspect of the hiring process. It is your best chance to gain an advocate for being hired. Winning over the people who are interviewing you requires understanding what is important to them.

Although you are the same person with the same skills, experience and accomplishments regardless of who is interviewing you, what you chose to emphasize is up to you. So focus on what is most important to each person that interviews you.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want." He is also the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

Don't Let Age Hinder Your Job Search

Sunday, March 23, 2008

President John F. Kennedy once said of Walt Rostow, his former deputy special assistant for National Security Affairs, "Walt is a fountain of ideas; perhaps one in 10 of them is absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately, six or seven are not merely unsound, but dangerously so."

In that statement, Kennedy reminds us good ideas are more important than new ones, highlighting the value of judgment honed through experience. Yet, in a society that seems obsessed with whatever is new, it can be hard to sell the value of hiring an older employee. But there are many things a seasoned worker can do to overcome society's stereotypes and a hiring manager's potential bias.

"There is experience and then there is diversity of experience," says Thomas Fuller, general managing partner of Epsen, Fuller IMD International Search Group, an executive search firm based in Morristown. The quality of the experience is what matters, he says.

If you're an older job candidate, focus on your accomplishments, so a prospective employer recognizes what you'll bring to the organization. Describe that experience in a way that matches the business needs of the organization.

Jack Miller, (no relation to me), author of "Simply Success: How to Start, Build and Grow a Multimillion Dollar Business the Old-Fashioned Way," started a new career at age 69. After selling a previous business to retailer Staples, he became Chairman of Successories, a business-to-business mail-order firm.

Miller suggests older employees show how their experience will have an immediate effect on a company. He says veterans bring much to the work force: They tend to have a strong work ethic, are less likely to job hop and will not have the challenges of balancing work and the obligations of raising young children, factors that can be pointed out to a prospective employer.

Here are some other factors that will help older workers land a job:

Push past stereotypes that hiring managers have about older workers. Stay energetic, work out regularly and demonstrate enthusiasm for your work. It will go a long way toward getting a prospective employer to view you as an attractive candidate.

Demonstrate that you are not only computer literate, but also comfortable with learning new technology.

Create a presence on the internet via a personal web page, blog, articles published online or a profile posted on a professional networking website. During an interview, discuss trends in technology that might be relevant to the job you are seeking. This will also eliminate any lingering doubts about your ability to adapt to rapidly changing technology.

Do your home work. Most job candidates don't prepare for job interviews and are not sufficiently knowledgeable about the organizations they seek to join, says Milburn resident Brian Drum, who is president of the executive recruiting firm Drum Associates. Displaying your knowledge of a company exhibits your interest and will often impress the hiring manager.

A good job candidate "should have at least one significant job accomplishment for each year of employment," Drum says. Concrete examples of how you have successfully made transitions to new situations and stories about how you achieved significant results should give you an edge in the hiring process.

Employers almost always seek a candidate with relevant experience -- just ask any student seeking his or her first job. Experience, however, does not preclude new ideas. Whether the candidate of experience triumphs over the candidate of new ideas, often has to do with how experience is presented.

Veteran candidates wishing to be selected ahead of talented younger prospects should demonstrate to a potential employer that they can apply their experience in a rapidly changing business environment.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

GETTING AHEAD BY UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE YOU NEED TO INFLUENCE

What determines why one person is selected for a job or a promotion and another is not? Most people believe that the answer to that question lies with the qualifications of the individuals being considered. If, like most people, you answered that the candidate with the most relevant skills and experience gets the job, you would be wrong. If someone is able to obtain a job interview or is being considered for a promotion, they are likely to be qualified to do the job. However, so are all the other candidates being considered for the position. The key to being selected is to distinguish yourself from all of the other qualified candidates.

Standing out from the crowd has more to do with your understanding of the employer’s U Perspective than it does with your qualifications. An employer’s U Perspective is ‘what they care about.” Employers are not looking for the candidate with the best qualifications because there is no such thing as the “best qualified candidate” in the abstract. There is only the best candidate for a particular job as the person or persons making the decision see it. To show that you are the right person for the position you are seeking requires understanding the U Perspective of the people involved in making the decision to hire or promote you.

While in most organizations there are a common set of shared values referred to as the organization’s culture, you don’t interview with an organization. You interview with individuals. For most jobs, you will have to interview with more than one person. Each person who interviews you sees the job somewhat differently. They define the perfect candidate as the perfect candidate for them. To convince an interviewer that you are the right person for the job, you need to figure out what the interviewer cares about.

How each person defines that ideal candidate usually can be found in the answer to the question “What can this candidate do for me?” Individuals tend to see the answer to that question differently depending on their role in the organization. Someone from Human Resources will have a different U Perspective than someone in Finance and both will differ from what your future boss will be looking for in a job candidate.

Typically a Human Resources executive is looking for the obvious choice -- someone who will be readily accepted by everyone involved. That way the Human Resources executive can fill the position quickly, satisfy his or her clients and move on to other work. He or she also needs to be able to the articulate reasons why you are the best candidate for the job. If a candidate has all the right skills and experience, and fails, no one will blame the Human Resources executive for recruiting someone who was clearly wrong for the job. On the other hand, if that individual favors someone who doesn’t fit the job specifications’ exactly, even if the candidate is otherwise outstanding, and it doesn’t work out, the Human Resources executive is likely to face criticism. So, when you interview with a Human Resources executive demonstrate how you meet all the important qualifications for the job. Be prepared with specific examples of things that you have done in the past that relate to the types of problems the company is currently facing.

Sometimes a Finance executive will be involved in the hiring process. What is their U Perspective? The Finance executive wants someone who they will be able to work with -- someone who knows how to stay on budget and help reduce expenses or generate revenues. Those are the skills you want to emphasize if you happen to be interviewing with a Finance executive.

The hiring manager, your future boss, is looking for someone who can help solve his or her most pressing problems, whatever they are. Even Human Resources and Finance executives will have a different U Perspective when hiring or promoting someone who will work for them than when they are recruiting for someone else. The hiring manager has immediate needs and wants someone to help take care of those needs. Hiring managers are most likely to be focused on whatever they deem to be the most significant problem they face at that moment. They want someone that can have an immediate impact. Therefore, the most important question you can ask your prospective boss is, “What is it at work that keeps you up at night?” The answer to that question will help you determine the hiring manager’s U Perspective. That is what you should focus on. If you can help the interviewer deal with those issues, you have gone a long way toward getting the job.

While you are the same person, with the same skills, experience and personal qualities no matter who is interviewing you, what you chose to emphasize makes all the difference in the world. Remember each person with whom you interview views the job being filled slightly differently based on how they interact with that position. That is why it is their U Perspective. When you are talking about your ability to do the job, how you are seen by the interviewer depends on what you choose to emphasize. Focus on what is most important to the person interviewing you.

Don't wear blinders about possible layoff

Sunday, March 09, 2008

"I should have seen it coming" is a common lament from those who end up laid off as a result of corporate downsizings and restructurings.

There usually are ample warning signs a layoff is coming, and that you are likely to be among the victims. When faced with that inevitability, though, "a lot of people choose to shut their eyes to the obvious signals," says Susan Ascher, chief executive of the Ascher Group, a human resources staffing firm in Roseland. That can be a costly mistake.

No one is immune from layoffs. A recent survey of 126 U.S. employers conducted by Mercer Consulting found 33 percent are considering hiring freezes or downsizing. In our rapidly changing world, odds are, sooner or later, most people will find themselves, often through no fault of their own, out of work. So it makes sense to learn how to recognize the warning signs. That way, you will be able to take steps to increase your survival, or be better positioned to deal with losing your job.

Companies that show signs of financial stress often find it necessary to resort to layoffs. So, if your company is slow paying its bills, is discussing outsourcing of various functions, has discontinued products or lost key customers, is cutting budgets or is the subject of takeover rumors, there is a good chance of a layoff.

You can reduce your chances of being laid off by getting involved in activities that are critical to the company's future. Keep your skills current, present yourself as someone who goes above and beyond expectations. Whether you will be among the victims of a downsizing depends on many things, some of which are completely outside of your control.

Walter Sonyi, executive vice president of Gateway International Group, an outplacement firm in Parsippany, offers these key indicators as signs of a layoff:

You stop being invited to meetings or being copied on e-mails.

Your boss or colleagues avoid looking you in the eyes.

When you approach, people stop talking or abruptly change the topic.

You are discouraged from joining professional associations or going to conferences.

Some of your job duties are reassigned.

Your colleagues seem to know more about what is going on than you do.

If you think you are likely to be laid off, it is always best to be proactive. While it may already be too late to change the outcome, it can't hurt to try to demonstrate your value.

The best response, Ascher advises, is to "be visible, be valuable, be positive and be knowledgeable." Make sure your boss knows about your recent successes, increase your visibility on projects viewed as critical to the organization's future and be willing to volunteer to take on added responsibilities. When times are tough, a positive "can-do" attitude is always highly prized.

Do not, however, ignore the possibility that your fate may already have been sealed. Make a concerted effort to focus on career-sustaining activities you may have let slip due to the press of other responsibilities. They include:

Updating your résumé.

Staying in touch with your professional network.

Increasing your involvement in professional associations and activities.

Enhancing your skills and industry knowledge.

Getting your finances in order.

Being ready to begin a job search if necessary.

It is never too soon to start preparing for the possibility that, this time, your number will be up.

A veteran human resources executive, Lee E. Miller is the author of "UP: Influence Power and the U Perspective -- The Art of Getting What You Want," and the co-founder of YourCareerDoctors.com, a website devoted to career success. Mail questions to Lee@YourCareerDoctors.com.

INFLUENCING THROUGH OTHERS

Influencing through others can produce impressive results. If presented properly, a message delivered by someone other than yourself carries additional weight. Having someone else exert influence on your behalf is tricky to pull off because it requires understanding, and appealing to, not only the U Perspective· what someone else cares about· of a third person whom you do not have the opportunity to interact with directly but also that of the person who will be delivering the message for you. In addition to having to motivate the person delivering the message you have to make sure that the message they deliver is the one that you actually want to convey. Moreover because you are not there to gauge how people react, you are unable to adjust the message if it does not have the intended effect.

Sometimes you will want someone else to deliver your message because they have greater legitimacy with the person you are seeking to influence. For example, the Executive Director of a major Non-Governmental Organization ("NGO") was trying to make certain changes in the organization. One of the individuals whose support she needed while giving "lip service" to the proposed changes, she was not doing anything to implement them. The Executive Director did not have direct authority over this individual who was employed by a university that worked with the organization and, despite her best efforts, was unable to gain this person's support. So Barbara Jackson, a well respected consultant and executive coach, was brought into help.

Barbara was asked to create a strategy for implementing the proposed changes and to develop standards, against which to measure the progress that was being made. By bringing in an expert that had credibility with the organization to develop standards for those individuals working on the initiative, the Executive Director was able to get the resisting individual to do what was required of her. While this individual could ignore the Executive Director, she could not ignore a respected consultant retained with the approval orthe organization's Board of Directors.

Legitimacy is the aura of authority someone creates when they deliver their message. It adds credibility to the positions being advocated. Because people tend to defer to authority, individuals perceived to have legitimacy are better able to exert influence. Understanding that psychological imperative is critical to increasing one's ability to win people over. While there are a number or ways a person can enhance their legitimacy. It is easier, and often more effective. to use someone who already has a great deal of legitimacy with those you seek to influence. That is why experts are brought in to help persuade.

People with whom someone has had previous positive dealings, people in positions of power, people with recognized expertise, celebrities, as well as individuals perceived to have a certain status, all carry legitimacy. Selecting the right person to deliver your message can insure that it produces the desired results. In addition to using credible individuals to leverage the power or your message, sometimes you need to exert influence through someone else simply because you cannot be everywhere and do everything yourself. When you are busy or seeking to persuade someone that resides a great distance away it is often necessary to influence through someone else. Perhaps you will choose to do so through a person that works for you, a local agent or someone who works in your organization at a nearby location.

When you seek to substitute someone for you that has not been selected because they already have legitimacy, you need to provide a reason for people to want to work with that individual. If that person's position is the same level as yours or at a higher level, that will probably be sufficient. If not, however, you will need to promote your designee as an expert in some aspect of the transaction so as to confer sufficient status to encourage people to want to work with him or her. Otherwise they will wonder why you are not dealing with them directly. It is essential, moreover, that you keep checking in with your representative to ensure that he or she is proceeding in the right direction. Once you have conferred sufficient status on that person it is virtually impossible for them to change their position once they make a commitment without threatening the relationship.

Working through others is an approach to influencing that can be used with great success in a variety of different circumstances for an assortment of reasons. How best to exert influence through others, depends on the reason why you are doing so. Properly utilized, however, influencing through others is one of the tools that every executive should have in their arsenal.